Beacons are useful for micro-locating users of mobile devices. Beacons emit Bluetooth® low-energy (BLE) signals comprising one or more universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) and other parameters. Mobile devices that are Bluetooth® enabled may run software applications that listen for universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) transmitted by the beacons. The mobile devices can use a received UUID and the other parameters to determine the beacon's physical location. Once a listened-for UUID is received by the mobile device, the software application may run code to trigger some action, event, or notification.
Beacon technology can be used similarly to GPS, but with a reduced impact on battery life and better precision (e.g., micro-location). Beacon technology can also be used to enhance location enabled functionality indoors. For example, using beacon technology, a mobile device can approximately find its relative location inside a physical space such as an office building, a mall, a store, etc.